Chinese Tourist Survives Seven Days in Open Sea off Hainan

Background: What Happened on May 27?

The strong current quickly pulled the man out into the open sea. Qin later said he had tried in vain to swim against the current. "Ich bin zuvor noch nie im Meer geschwommen", the 39-year-old is quoted as telling a reporter in the hospital. To conserve his strength, he let himself drift and gradually removed his clothing and jewelry to reduce his weight. According to Xinhua, he fought off his thirst with salty seawater and his own urine.

After more than 40 hours, he reached a buoy, on which he wanted to rest. But a wave pushed him back into the sea, as the report says. At a second buoy, which he found later, he clung on, "an der er sich vor lauter Erschöpfung nur noch festklammern statt hinaufziehen konnte." The 39-year-old said he ate dozens of small raw crabs that he found at the buoy so as not to starve. On May 31, the fifth day of his odyssey, he reached another buoy, where he held out.

Survival at Sea: Crabs, Seawater and Buoys

Over the course of the seven days at sea, Qin Jianping increasingly suffered from hallucinations and exhaustion. The prolonged sun exposure caused weeping skin rashes. "Qin could not call for help because his mobile phone was lost after he was swept into deep waters", the report continues. The newspaper Pengbo News speaks of a "wondrous" rescue.

The rescue came in early June thanks to two fishermen from Chengmai County in the south of Hainan province. The fishermen discovered Qin clinging to a buoy in a delirious state and pulled him aboard. They then brought him to a hospital, where he received medical treatment. No precise information about his current state of health was provided in the reports available.

Rescue by Fishermen from Chengmai

Hainan is one of China's most famous holiday islands and attracts millions of domestic tourists every year. Haikou's waterfront promenade is a particularly popular meeting place for strollers in the evenings. The accident occurred during stormy weather, which further intensified the currents and the waves.

The case has attracted widespread attention in Chinese online media. Many users expressed admiration for the man's will to survive. At the same time, the question was raised as to how a stroller could spend seven days unnoticed in the sea without rescue services being alerted earlier. Officials have so far not commented on any possible consequences.